“With tireless efforts, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) has become reliable support and enjoyed full confidence of Vietnamese businesses and business community”, said Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan at the ceremony awarding First-class Labour Order of the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to VCCI. It is an honourable award of the Party and State recognising the outstanding performance of VCCI in 2009-2013.
Speaking at the ceremony, VCCI President Vu Tien Loc said that the national network has assembled over 300 business associations with one third of associations of nation-wide scales. Excluding 4.6 million household businesses, the business community has employed some 11 million workers with over 60 percent working in non-State enterprises.
Overcoming difficulties and challenges of the global economic recession as well as internal weaknesses in recent years, Vietnamese business community and business persons have tried their best to stabilise business operation, contributing successfully to economic development, generating jobs and securing social welfare.
According to Dr Loc, in the present conditions, Vietnamese businesses and entrepreneurs must timely access markets, demand-supply, cooperation and competition to develop, meanwhile continue to study upgrading management skill and professional ability to be able to deal with all consequences.
For her part, Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan said that the Party, State, business community and entrepreneurs highly recognised VCCI successful cooperation with ministries and central organisations in developing dialogues between local authorities and businesses and recommending the Party and State on policies and laws to improve business and investment environment.
In addition, VCCI has creatively organised trade-investment promotion activities of national scale, scientific researches and seminars, training courses and market surveys to provide businesses full information on domestic and world economies as well as evaluations and suggestions to overcome difficulties, develop business activities and integrate successfully into the world economy.
Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan also said: “I highly appreciate VCCI efforts in coordinating businesses, developing network of associations and business community and enhancing business assistance. I also highly value VCCI cooperation with concerned authorities to commemorate Entrepreneurs’ Day (October 13) honouring exemplary entrepreneurs in national industrialisation and modernisation”.
The Vice President said that while the world economy is recovering after financial crisis and economic recession, there remain unstable factors. Businesses are facing on one hand trade barriers in major export markets and on the other fierce competition in domestic market. In near future, to complete TPP negotiation, Vietnamese products must satisfy stringent technical requirements so as to benefit from TPP. Consequently, Vietnamese businesses are still facing big difficulties and challenges.
To develop more vigorously and steadily, the Vice President proposed that VCCI should implement successfully Resolution 09/NQ-TW of December 9, 2011 of the Politburo on “Developing and activating the role of Vietnamese entrepreneurs in the period of industrialisation, modernisation and international integration”, Resolution 19/CNQ-CP of March 18, 2014 of the government on the main tasks and solutions to improve business environment, upgrade national competitiveness aiming at developing a strong business community with national spirit, business culture, social responsibility, management skill, high competitiveness so as to integrate effectively in the global value chains.
Accordingly, the Vice President suggested that Vietnam Business Forum 2014 should discuss and recommend solutions to implement the above-mentioned objectives, especially efficient measures on restructuring, enhancing competitiveness and social responsibility, business linkage so as to meet standards of ASEAN 6.
Regarding business community and entrepreneurs, the Vice President said that they must keep up with market opportunities, supply-demand and competition for development. They must unceasingly upgrade management skill to apply creatively and correctly economic rules in all circumstances: “Responding to all changes by unchanging”, manifesting the competence of Vietnamese entrepreneurs in expanding international relations while maintaining national entity, giving high priority to cooperation for mutual benefit and development instead of minor profit or gaining.
Quynh Chi
Vietnamese
